Bollywood On Football

Bollywood’s John Abraham needs no introduction as his fans swoon and go ga ga over him but howmany of us know of the existence of John Abraham, an American who is a professional national level footballer? Or for that matter how many of us crazy cricket Indians really follow the sport of Football with the same passion and devotion as cricket? Not many right? Realizing this Bollywood stars have been doing their bit to increase awareness for the world’s favourite sport. 

John Abraham himself is a self confessed football fanatic and has acted in the movie “Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal” whose plot revolved around a UK based amateur football group that did whatever it took to save their local club. The movie was India’s first all-out football-related movie. Apart from that Abraham has been the chief guest at the opening I-League game, shot commercials for the Premier League and alongwith Baichung Bhutia is actively promoting the sport. His passion for the sport reflected before the Word Cup where he rushed the workers to complete not his house that was being renovated but his home theatre so that he could watch the matches. Bipasha Basu is also a football fan but when it comes to merging reel and real life then Abhishek Bachchan takes the goal. A Chelsea supporter in real life, he played one in the movie “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom”. He also got any football fans dream come true when he became the first fan who was handed the Blues’ new home kit by Chelsea Football Club last year. And Being Human is not the only cause that Salman Khan supports. He is the ambassador for football, as named by the AIFF and has spoken about football’s immense growth potential in India. He has also participated in celebrity football charity matches and his presence at the Nehru Cup final was a bonus to the game’s followers. Ranbir Kapoor is also an avid footballer who got to show his skills on the field when he played for a cancer charity match in Pune. The audience here didn’t get to see him clad in a towel
ala Saawariya but they did get to shout and applause him forthe four goals he scored. And while one is visiting Bandra in Mumbai, one can get lucky and spot Dino Morea enjoy the game on the field. Former model turned choreographer Marc Robinson is such a football fan that he started a yearly tournament in Mumbai to give a platform to amateur football teams to show their talent. After conquering the hearts of UP, Bihar and London after Big Brother, Shilpa Shetty willingly gave hers to Indian football. Even hubby Raj Kundra can’t seem to compete with her interest in the game.

Football has also been responsible for giving hope to a youth named Basharat Bashir Baba who is an aspiring Kashmiri football player. He faced discrimination but persevered and\ is pursuing his dream of playing football as a professional player. Baba also has a movie “Football, Inshallah” made about him that has been directed by Ashwin Kumar. With an award in its kitty the movie is about angry Baba who found hope in football, his father who turned a militant and then mended his ways and the football coach who came to Kashmir to instill hope in young Kashmiris. This 83 minute movie emphasizes the importance of football, in Kashmir that is plagued by unrest and violence. The sport helps to instill values and positivity, ensure challenge, adrenalin rush, improve mental creativity and help deal with stress. InBaba’s own words, “The mentality of a Kashmiri youth is that if the police cannot change, nobody can change. But I think football can change”. When he initially started Baba faced discrimination while playing for a big club in Calcutta. Statements like “You are from Kashmir, you are a terrorist, you are a militant. We don’t want to play with you.” forced him to leave the club. But the
young promising talent found help at ISAT (International Sports Academy Trust) founded by the Argentinean coach Marcus Trio and has been training there.

 When things began going well for Baba his application for a passport was denied stating past militant links of his father. Baba was furious but later proud that his father had mended his ways. After Chief Minister Omar Abdullah intervened, and got him the required police security clearance Baba got his passport and says, “My passport is a life for me now.  It’s everything.”His vision is to play for India and then open an academy in Kashmir. Football gave him a life line and there are many other unknown Baba’s out there who live and dream the sport of football. May the sport continue to instill optimism and hope for all of them.

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